another line of thinking about becoming a Christian is that you have to somehow get yourself together first, before you can own the label 'Christian'. these people put off committing to Jesus because they think all the fun in life will be over if they follow Jesus. some put it off because they can't seem to get themselves 'together' enough to feel worthy enough to talk to Jesus at all.
the truth is that neither option is true!
in Philippians 3, Paul talks about how, in the world's eyes, he had 'made it.' before meeting Jesus, he had attained the highest religious ranks, he was a perfect citizen, a perfect Jew from the right lineage. he was the ultimate of ultimates. but when he met Jesus, he realized that all those things that made people admire him were total garbage! a waste of time and energy.
you may think, 'how's that possible? he was doing everything required! he met all the criteria! it's got to count for something, right?!'
the reality is that he was running full speed in the wrong direction. imagine you're a fan at the olympics, sitting in the stands to watch the 200 meter race. the crowd is sitting in awe and anticipation, the lights brightly shine on the track, the racers are poised in the blocks, the gun pops, and..... wait, one of the runners is running the opposite direction of everyone else!!! he's all alone going as fast as he can clockwise around the track! he's giving it his all... he rounds the bend, like a bullet... the crowd is gasping, the racers cross the finish line, the times come up on the board... he's not on there, and if he is, his name is dead last. even though they find out later that he demolished Usain Bolt's time and would've won the race, his time doesn't count. he wasn't going the right way. the whole crowd of spectators, including you, would agree that he didn't follow the rules; it's only fair that he lost. sad, but fair.
God is fair. He looked at Paul's heart before Paul met Jesus, and knew that Paul hadn't followed God's way. in fact, Paul was crossing the country specializing in killing Christians! he was running full speed in the wrong direction. he had 'gotten himself together' by the world's standards, but it didn't mean a thing.
Paul goes on to say that the only thing that counts is that he knows Christ! that's all there is to it. when he would die and stand in front of God, he wouldn't be bringing up the fact that he was such a great Jewish leader; all that mattered was that Jesus saved him and turned him around so he would run the race in the right direction.
but that salvation from Jesus didn't make him a sudden 'holy man'. he didn't stop being a sin-prone human. he didn't suddenly understand the whole world.
what he says is this:
"Only let us live up to what we have already attained."
Philippians 3:16
the thing is, God accepted his repentance right when he repented. God took him in while he was still on his way to kill some Christians in Damascus. there were some immediate changes - he didn't go kill those Christians - but he had a long way to go to be perfect! and years later, when he was writing all these letters to churches he had planted, he says that what Christians should do is live up to what we have already attained. when we don't know much, we live according to what we know, praying that God continues to teach us and that we continue to learn. if a kid is in 3rd grade, you don't expect him to know trigonometry. and if he's a senior in high school, you don't expect him to be unable to spell his name. he should live up to what he has already attained.
it's a process, always moving, always changing, always forward. the important thing is to seek God fully along the way, and He will help you grow.
where are you in your journey? what have you already attained?
do you just believe there's a God, but aren't convinced of anything else? live up to that. think about what that means. what is God? all-powerful, all-knowing, He loves unconditionally, He is perfect, He is always right. it means He created everything, and that means everything belongs to Him. it also means He's bigger than everything. sounds like He's worthy of being worshipped! live with that in mind, and He will show you more.
do you believe the Bible speaks God's truth? live up to that. what does that even mean? well, it must be worth reading. God can speak through it to you. and if God, the amazing being Who created everything and is so perfect, allowed His thoughts to be written on paper for you to read, you must be special to Him! live with that in mind, and He will show you more.
do you believe Jesus told the truth? live up to that. what does that mean? it means He was related to God personally as His Son, which must mean He knew some stuff! it means He was wiser than everyone around Him, and that He was like God. He said if anyone saw Him they saw His Father. whoa. it means He predicted His death and resurrection and those both came true - which means He raised Himself from the grave! who else can claim that?! live with that in mind, and He will show you more.
do you believe that you have sinned and that Jesus is the only way to be saved from your sin? live up to that. what does it mean? it means if you don't accept Him, you're in deep trouble! and if you do accept Him, it means you are incredibly relieved and grateful! it means you are covered by His perfection, even though you still sometimes mess up. it requires that you live your life to please and honor the One who saved your soul! and if you're trying to live to please Him, it means you read His Bible and pray to Him to find out what pleases Him, from the way you dress to the way you think. live with that in mind, and He will show you more.
we can always grow. we always have more to attain. it's not a boring life! we are not 'there' yet, and we can't 'get ourselves together'. come as you are. surrender to His KINGship. Jesus is waiting to show you more.
I was just reading about Usain Bolt... this was really great. I think I'm going to send it to some people...
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